West Bend School Board Looks to Condemn Jackson Property for New School

Hmmmmm… seems to me like the West Bend School Board may be getting a bit ahead of itself. 

The West Bend School Board is considering condemning a piece of land in Jackson on which to put a new Jackson Elementary School.

   Superintendent Patricia Herdrich said school boards can condemn properties, but West Bend doesn’t want to condemn properties with houses on them.

   A six-acre parcel the board is considering is vacant and owned by a developer. The board is considering other portions of land as well, Herdrich said.

   At a work session Monday, an attorney will be on hand to answer board members’ questions.

   Whether or not to condemn land will be discussed in open session. Herdrich wouldn’t give specific land parcels being considered. Possible Jackson land purchase has been discussed in closed session meetings.

   Condemning land means the district may buy the land at the appraised value in order to put a school on the property. The district has to prove using the land is the only solution for the school, Herdrich said.

This is a legal use of eminent domain, but from where is the money going to come?  As I understand it, there isn’t any money in the budget for rebuilding Jackson Elementary.  That’s why they are going to referendum for the funds.  The referendum has already failed once and they are introducing it again during a recession - thus it is unlikely to pass.  So what happens if the board condemns the property and the referendum fails?  How will they pay for it? 

Then again, the story doesn’t give a timeline.  Perhaps they are just getting their ducks in a row so that they can make quick decisions if the referendum passes. 

If you’d like to weigh in, here’s when they’ll be talking about it:

   The work session runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at West Bend West High School. The board does not take action at work sessions, but could come to a general consensus on direction.